Todd & the Book of Pure Evil Season One Review

Todd & the Book of Pure Evil is a witty, and tongue in cheek take on the whole supernatural high school genre, but it operates like an old eighties B-movie without being hindered by American censorship. It’s produced in Canada, and gets away with a boatload of things that its predecessors like Buffy the Vampire Slayer never could. Seriously there’s loads of blood, bile, demonic fluids, and more than a few substances not identifiable on a canvas loaded with bananas, silhouettes and nudity. It’s a wealth of all the degraded things your parents always told you that you shouldn’t like, but you, not so secretly, love.

Crowley High School  is the home of the Book of Pure Evil , which like the Necronomicon, is a tome of spells and enchantment. It can grant your deepest wishes and desires, but it usually with a grave twist. Todd Smith (Alex House) is the metalhead social outcast, lusting after the hot goth girl Jenny (Maggie Castle) who is of course linked with the Book of Pure Evil, and also has absolutely no interest in him. His friends include fellow outcast Curtis (Billy Turnbull) and the Willow of the group Hannah (Melanie Leishman).

The series opens up with Todd finding the book, and trying to use it to win over the girl of his dreams, Jenny. The book makes him the school’s basketball champ and the best guitar player, but it also makes him evil. Learning the consequences, Todd and his Scooby gang team up to try to prevent it from being used. But like the tag line they’re “fighting evil with mixed results.”

The cast has some seriously good chemistry, and the stories although nothing new, are done in such a way that they’re not only engaging, but addictive. The cast has too much fun playing off eachother, and their enjoyment shines through each horrific moment.

The DVDs are pretty flawless, they’ve transferred well. This isn’t the dubbed American version, it’s the real deal, and having seen the “clean” version, I appreciate this mucked up version all the more.

The Extras includes cast commentary, the blooper reel, outtakes and deleted scenes, extended musical scenes, Q and A with the cast, promotional clips and the piece that launched the series the Todd & the Book of Pure Evil: The Original Short Film.

I’m never one that really enjoys the commentary, it does give some great little behind the scenes gems, but with the cast and crew commenting, there are so many people that most get to say very little. If you’re a die hard for the series though, you may want to check them out.

The blooper reel, is kinda standard. Nothing outlandish here, especially not for this series, but there are certainly some blunders that garner more than a snicker.

In the outtakes and deleted scenes there are eight clips from four episode, nothing much to see though.

The Extended Musical scenes though are a must see.

Q&A has some great stuff, but it can only be viewed as a single 14 minute segment.

Short Promotional Clips and the Next time promos are fantastic. I’m not sure why the next time promos aren’t at the end of each episode, but the shorts are seriously hilarious. If you watch none of the other extras watch these ones.

And the crème de la crème is Original short. Is it as good as the series, no, but it’s a must view.

All in all, is it going to offend some, sure with vulgar humor, spontaneous anal bleeding, drugs, gore, devil worship, and token amputee, but Todd & The Book of Pure Evil makes no apologies for its behavior, and furthermore does it flawlessly, earning a place on my viewing schedule. If you haven’t already ordered a copy, enter in our contest here. I’m giving away three copies, and you don’t want to let this opportunity get away from you.

eOne Entertainment / 2011 / 290 mins / NR